On March 17, when searching on an e-commerce platform, the reporter found that the search heat of "A current antigen" reached millions, and the price was much higher than that of COVID-19 antigen detection reagent, up to ten times or even dozens of times. "H1N1" is the abbreviation of influenza A virus. With the recent increase in the proportion of infections, there is a strong demand for H1N1 virus detection. So, is the detection of influenza A antigen accurate? Why is it more expensive than COVID-19 Antigen? Do you need to stock up in advance? With these problems, the reporter of Science and Technology Daily interviewed Gao Fu, an academician of the CAS Member, on March 17. "After antigen testing, antiviral treatment can be carried out as soon as possible." The percentage of influenza like cases in southern and northern provinces is still at a high level, with some provinces experiencing a decline. "On March 16th, the latest monitoring weekly report released by the National Influenza Center showed that the current epidemic strains are characterized by a common prevalence of influenza A virus H1N1 subtype and H3N2 subtype, and are sensitive to neuraminidase inhibitors and polymerase inhibitors.". "Sensitive" means that the virus has not developed resistance and antiviral treatment is still effective. "The timing of treatment is crucial in combating viral infection." Gao Fu said that antiviral treatment within 48 hours of onset can effectively reduce influenza complications and reduce the probability of becoming seriously ill. It can be seen that distinguishing whether the virus is infected with H1N1 within 48 hours of symptoms, and then using drugs to block the replication and release of the virus in the body can effectively combat the virus. So, how can I tell if I am infected with influenza A virus when I have fever, cough, and fatigue? "In practice, it can be found that the amount of detoxification is generally relatively high within one week after the onset of symptoms, and the detection rate is high at this time. Specifically, if you are infected with influenza A virus, it can be detected the next day after the onset of symptoms or when you have a fever." Gao Fu said, therefore, developing antigen testing can help to carry out antiviral treatment as soon as possible. "Rapid antigen detection methods can use colloidal gold method and immunofluorescence method, and such preliminary diagnosis is conducive to rapid implementation of antiviral treatment." Gao Fu said, but its sensitivity is lower than nucleic acid testing. Therefore, the interpretation of rapid antigen detection results should be considered in combination with the patient's epidemic history and clinical symptoms. Is the H1N1 antigen kit more expensive? "Comparatively speaking, in the two methods of antigen detection, the immunofluorescence method needs to coat the antibody of the target protein (NP protein), and the manufacturing cost is higher than that of the colloidal gold method kit." When responding to the reporter of Science and Technology Daily, Gao Fu said, but for the detection of COVID-19 antigen and influenza A antigen, the process and cost of the two methods are similar. Generally speaking, colloidal gold method is used for detection with "fast detection strip", while ELISA kits are mostly used by laboratory professionals. The most influenza antigen detection kits that can be purchased by e-commerce platforms are colloidal gold methods. The reporter searched the e-commerce platform and found that about 30 yuan was used for A current detection, and about 3-5 yuan was used for COVID-19 detection. Gao Fu explained, "The process and cost of the two are similar, and the current price difference may be due to the relatively small market for H1N1 influenza kits, low production volume from manufacturers, and high cost sharing. It may also be due to the lack of similar products in the market and insufficient price competition. Therefore, open market competition and widespread promotion can promote the development of products."
Edit：Ying Ying Responsible editor：Shen Chen
Source：digitalpaper.stdaily.com
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